We Just Live
by Piggie
Summary: A One Shot - Just an attempt at a short fic. This is SSHG with an unhappy ending. The war hinges on a choice Hermione will make, will it be the right one?


This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

We Just Live

She looked widely about as the rain poured down, hitting the ground with giant splashes. She could barely see beyond her hand, but she knew that she had to keep moving, running, fleeing, escaping.

She scrambled over a rock hearing her robes ripping on one of its sharp edges, but she didn't stop, she couldn't afford the time, she had to get away, she had to run and never stop, she couldn't bear the pain of what she was leaving behind, of the fear of what she would have to look back on, the terror of what had happened. If she could just get away, she would never have to go back, she wouldn't have to face up to what had happened if she could leave, but that voice, the one in the back of her mind was nagging at her again '_you'll have to face it one day, there isn't really any escape.'_

"Shut up!" She called out into the night and then clamped her hand over her mouth, she had to be quiet, she couldn't afford to be found. They'd make her go back. They'd force her to return, but she couldn't. She'd never return. She would never go back to face them – Harry, Ron, Dumbledore – they just wouldn't understand why she'd done it, why she had chosen _him_ over them.

Him, the one who had saved her life.

Him the one who had risked everything to get to her.

Him, her one true love.

Him, who had left her.

Him, who she was going to join now.

It pained her heart to think of what she was going to do, but it would save his life. It would give them a chance, and if the world was shrouded with evil who cared? She didn't, she had given enough of her life to the cause of the Order, now it was time to do something for her, but her heart was torn in two. To join him would certainly mean death for her friends, but if she didn't, it would mean death for him.

Her tears started to fall, merging with the rain that was beating against her face. What little visibility she had was now blurred. Her foot caught on a tree root and suddenly she was sprawled on the rocky ground. She groaned and nursed her head, the pain from the small cut she received added to her sorrow.

She began to beat the ground, pounding her fists against the mud, splashing it over her but she didn't notice, her tears fell and her cries of anger, pain and frustration rose from her chest.

"I hate you _all_!" she screamed into the night. "Why? I don't understand! How can you do this to me?" she struggled up and looked at the sky, her robes where covered with filth, shredded in places, hanging from almost one shoulder. "I have done everything I was asked, even more! I learned everything I was told to, I have defended only good and never encouraged evil, and now, now I am forced to choose between everyone I love! Well the joke's on you, because I chose _him_! How's that?" She shook her hand at the sky, screaming to God. "I'm a powerful witch and if you won't help me, then I'll help myself to what I want! So either pull out the stops and give me something to work with, or the world will be so big a heap of trouble that even you won't be able to stop it!" She panted as she tried to see where she was. As if her voice had been heard from high above, the rain began to ease and the sky clear. She flicked her heavy hair back from her face as she began to get her bearings. "That's better." She muttered as she began on her way again.

She walked barely a mile before she found what she was looking for. It was a trap and she knew it, but there he was lying in a clearing, it was obvious that he was in pain and needed urgent medical assistance. This was what she had come for and she needed to get this done with quickly if either of them were to have a chance at survival.

With her head held high, her wand for once tucked away – it would be useless against them all – she ran to her beloved. His long dark hair matted with blood and rain water, his skin almost transparent and his breathing shallow he looked a shadow of his former self. She could tell from looking at him that he had a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder; she wanted to weep for him but knew that now wasn't the time.

Suddenly the clearing filled with thirty or more Deatheaters clothed in their dark robes with their silvery white masks, they surrounded her, closing in around her until they were shoulder to shoulder. Hermione looked up at them with defiance in her eyes.

"Where is he then?" She looked at a Deatheater on her right. The dark form stirred beneath her hand. She looked down and soothed him, brushing his matted hair from his face; he stilled and settled under her comfort.

The circle parted at the north and in walked the tall dark ominous figure of Lord Voldemort.

"Miss Granger." He greeted her. "I knew that you would arrive, I thought that the bait would be too good for you to refuse. However, I'm disappointed at your entrance; surely you must have had some inclination to the trap."

"Oh, trust me; I knew just what I was walking into. I'm not stupid." Hermione spat at him. "I had my own tricks hidden up my sleeve."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, I've taken a poison, one of Severus' own concoctions." She smiled wistfully as she looked down at her unconscious prince. "There's only one person who can make the antidote, and at the moment he's lying here." She made eye contact with the Dark Lord and shivered. She had never seen anything as hideous as the creature before her. "The trigger of the poison is Vertinessium, give me that and I'll die before the third drop touches my tongue. You let us leave – and by that I mean, we go, no one is to follow us and we are never to be touched by you or any of your follows or any other dark wizard you have dealings with again – and I will tell you anything you want. Without the pact you get nothing. And it will be a magical pact, one your can't worm out of, otherwise all this is for nothing, and your true downfall will be tonight."

"How do I know your not lying?"

"Go ahead, administer your truth serum and then we'll see who's lying."

The moon shone upon the clearing, bouncing its light off the masks of the Deatheaters. The group of followers shifted uncomfortably in the silence that followed, each of them wondering who was going to face the punishment for this part of Voldemort's plan going awry. After a few moments the Dark Lord shifted and agreed. Hermione let go of the breath she was holding and loosened her grip on Severus Snape's robes.

"I, Lord Voldemort, willing pledge that I will release Hermione Louisa Granger and Severus Theodore Snape, never to bother them again, nor to send anyone after them. I pledge that none of my followers will contact them through my orders or on their own will thinking they are doing my bidding. I wash my hands of you both." He mimicked washing his hands.

"I, Hermione Louisa Granger, willingly pledge that I will tell Lord Voldemort all that I know concerning anything that he asks for in return for the conditions I set. I wash my hands of you." Hermione copied his motions.

"Where is Harry Potter?" He questioned…

* * *

Harry arrived at the old farm cottage the next night. It had all worked so well, everyone had acted the way that he had predicted they would. Hermione had run to her beloved potions master and had consequently told him everything. He had arrived thinking that he had the upper hand over the younger wizard but really it had all been part of the plan. Now he was here to tell Hermione and Snape the good news, the war was over, he had killed Voldemort and life could return to normal. Not that he knew what "normal" was.

Approaching the door carefully he listened for signs of life. Everything was deathly silent, he had been sure that they would be here. Just as he was making to leave he heard a low moan from behind the door and a whisper of a voice. He pushed the door open quietly and crept inside. In the small room that he entered lay his old Potions Master, his leg bound in a splint eyes blackened by a savage beating. A shadow moved across the kitchen door way a second before his friend appeared.

Her hair wild and busy as always, her nose turned up a little and her brown eyes clouded with worry and distress. She dropped the bowl of water she was carry at the sight of Harry.

"Harry?" She asked her voice shaky. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's over Hermione."

She broke into sobs, her legs buckling under her weight, all the pressure and guilt she had been feeling for the past twenty four hours gone from her shoulders. Harry pulled her into his arms and shushed her.

"I'm sorry." Was all she would say over and over again.

"I'd have done the same for the person I love, Hermione, its okay I don't blame you. You did what I knew you would do and because of that you saved us all." He stroked her hair. "How is Snape?" Fresh sobs burst forth.

"He needs help, urgently. He's worse than I thought and my limit knowledge of healing doesn't begin to cover what needs to be done." She managed through sobs, her eyes pleading with Harry to help her. "I'm frightened that I'm going to lose him."

Without another word he helped her up, grabbed the bowl from the floor waved his wand and moved to the older wizard's side. It really didn't look good.

"We need to get him to St. Mugo's, Hogwarts is no good – Madam Pomfrey got it trying to heal those that fell last night." Hermione gave a whimper. The war had ravaged everyone and everything. Life would never be the same for them again, only in years to come, when the next generation arrived would innocence be brought back to the Wizarding world. "We'll apparate with him, think he's strong enough?"

Snape moaned in answer. "Hermione," pushing Harry to one side she knelt by Snape's side, holding his hand in her own.

"I'm here baby, I'm here." She whispered softly, caressing his hair with her free hand. "Everything will be okay; we're going to get you help."

"Voldemort…" he questioned weakly.

"Dead. Gone. Finished. Over with. You're free."

"I love you." He whispered and cracked an eye open. In great pain he moved his arm to touch her hair. "You gave me light, thank you."

"I love you to Severus, but don't you dare say goodbye! We're going to get you help, you're going to be okay, we're going to get married remember and have lots of scowling babies and we're going to teach them to annoy Professor Trelawney!" Her voice was soft but urgent. Snape cracked a painful smile.

"Yes. I liked that dream too… I'll always be with you my little know it all… for eternity."

"I know, you will, please don't leave me. Please, hold on, please. I love you, I always will…" She leaned down and caressed his lips with her own. The smile spread across his face, and his hand relaxed in hers. She watched his face intently.

Harry watched silently from behind Hermione, he watched the rise and fall of his old professor's chest slow and then finally stop. A raw cry of pain escaped Hermione's lips and she flung herself across her beloved's body sobbing.

Harry approached her cautiously and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at him. Her eyes showed her heart; broken into a million pieces, each one smaller than the tiniest of ants. Her love was gone. Everything she had sacrificed for, every hope and dream she had was gone in one single breath.

"How can this happen? How can I go on? What will I do?" She cried, her eyes pleading for answers. Harry shrugged his shoulders and took her into his arms. He thought of everyone he had lost, all that she had lost and all the souls and lives that had been destroyed because of the dark evil that had swooped upon them. He could only think of one answer…

"We just live."


End file.
